Precise sensors record the heartbeat and count the steps – 24 hours a day. The patient usually doesn’t notice any of this, however; the tiny sensors are worn on the body or carried as handheld devices like the spirometer, which measures lung function while everyday life continues. All of these sensors collect valuable data that can also be used to improve the development of new medicines. For instance, doctors and researchers in the Department of Cardiovascular Experimental Medicine at Bayer are using a number of innovative sensor technologies in clinical studies, for example. Sensors can be used to select suitable patients for clinical studies with even greater specificity, and while the study is ongoing they improve monitoring of the efficacy and safety of the new drugs. This enables the experts to tailor the treatment optimally to the needs of the individual patient.

Story check

ChallengePatients participating in clinical trials often have to come to the study center frequently to have important functional parameters measured.

SolutionBayer researchers are working together with technology companies to find ways of using innovative sensors that continuously and safely record patient data in future clinical trials.

BenefitsThis approach may not only reduce the number of monitoring visits that have to be made to the study center but may also allow to tailor the treatment of individual patients even more precisely to their specific disease profile and life situation.

How sensors improve drug development

Technologies for Health

The objective for the researchers and doctors working in the Department of Cardiovascular Experimental Medicine at Bayer is to improve the robustness of the information obtained by using modern sensor technology and to optimize future therapies. “We are working with technology companies to identify opportunities for using innovative sensors in clinical studies in the future,” explains Dr. Frank Kramer. “We hope that this will enable us to tailor therapies to the individual patient even better than in the past.” His colleague Dr. Wilfried Dinh adds, “The parameters are measured continuously and the figures are sent to the doctor using secure data connections. This reduces the number of monitoring visits that have to be made to the study center, making it easier for the pa­tient to take part in the study.” At the same time, physicians like Dr. Gerrit Weimann can monitor important functional parameters independently of scheduled visits, enabling the safety and efficacy of the substance being investigated to be monitored in the patient’s everyday situation.